Two genes associated with dreaming have been discovered in mice, according to a study published this week in Cell Reports.
Researchers found that when they removed these genes (known as Chrm1 and Chrm3), the mice were incapable of experiencing REM sleep.
When researchers deleted one of the genes, the mice had less REM sleep. When they removed both, the mice had no REM sleep. This result suggests the genes work together to determine how much REM sleep we get.
Since REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep, is the stage of sleep people most often dream in, the assumption is that if the mice don’t have REM sleep, they can’t dream either.
The importance of REM
A person
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